User Reviews

I freaking love it. The awkwardness of the documentarians and the couple with the Espanola residents translates well to the audience.

Each scene after the other is like watching a dentist work, one tooth decay at a time. The switching of perspectives in cuts, the clean sharpness of handicam digital they use for television switches with static grainy film shots and random intimate peep shots like an unnatural observer.

The satire is over-the-top, almost absurd, everything starts at a peek of normalcy and rages to 100 right away, I can't wait to see where this show goes. It's so painful to watch and I guess that makes me a sort of sadomasochist.

What a strong pilot, this show is already so insane and it just started, I can't wait for more. So fresh, unique, and creative I love it.

I knew that the show would be strong due to Safdie and Fielder co-creating it together and they delivered everything I could've wanted and more, they completely compliment each other styles in a way that blends so amazingly and makes for such entertaining, nerve-racking, hilarious, interesting story telling and I'm already in love.

I can't wait to see more of this show as they expand upon this story and its characters, I know it's in good hands and I think it'll continue to rise in consistently incredible quality.

We're pretty big Nathan Fiedler fans in my household after Nathan For You. He's playing another version of that character here, but less unflappable/autistic, more like a real human being with angst and bad temper.

His chemistry with real-life wife Emma Stone works great. As the third wheel, Bennie Safdie is a bit of a cypher at this point.

I knew the premise going in, that Nathan (Asher) and Emma (Whitney) are playing characters making a reality TV series (which seems to be a parody of AppleTV+'s full-of-itself documentary series, Home).

But right away the plotline veers into a tangent about Asher's past that promises to be more interesting than yet another parody of the reality TV genre, which let's face it, is a very easy target.

The premise for this show was apparently based on a real interaction that Nathan Fielder had with a woman in Los Angeles, who put a curse on him when he didn't have any money he could give her. It's crazy how real life can impact our careers like that and give us the inspiration to create some of the weirdest things that no one would ever believe were actually taken from life. However, what's funny about that is that this entire show is based around the idea of presenting something false and showing people the image that they want of themselves, and it's quite brilliant.

In school, we learned about the idea of staging your approach to the outside world and how social media was a perfect way of presenting the ideal version of yourself to a mass audience. However, this show uses the idea of reality television and its impact on audiences to tell a story of this married couple who are doing something good for their neighborhood and helping the poor. However, it's very clear that this is all an act and the glitz is broken because of Fielder's Asher Siegel who is unable to take criticism in any form, which starts to form cracks in the wall. This first episode goes on to brilliantly show that the couple is completely different behind the scenes, and amidst weird sex games and uncomfortable family dinners, it paints an entirely different image of this couple. The episode is brilliantly absurd, yet also so insanely honest, which actually follows in the footsteps of Fielder's previous works very well, and his team-up with Benny Safdie only helps, as he brings his gritty sensibilities to it, both as a writer and as the standout character of Dougie. The episode doesn't do too much to set up the show, but the main premise of this curse that is put on Asher is firmly placed as the main focus and it gives this drama a scent of comedy that is molded into the absurd ideas that happen throughout. The performances are also great, with Emma Stone continuing to expand her career in really creative ways.

"Land of Enchantment" is the perfect opening for a show that seeks to understand the answer of who we really are and who we want to be. There's hopefully a lot more to come in terms of these characters and their personal lives, but anything that they decide to do from here on seems like a ride I'd be up to take.

Even though the trailers and promos for this show didn't seem interesting to me, as a big fan of Nathan for You, The Rehearsal, Good Time, and Uncut Gems, I was excited to give it a try. Plus, Emma Stone? Hell yeah!

I truly thought The Rehearsal (2022) was an underrated masterpiece. I literally booked my trip to New York after the show came out because I was loosely inspired to see The Alligator Lounge in person (iykyk).

But The Curse just isn't for me.

Right off the bat, I don't find the situations very funny. Sure, they're uncomfortable and exaggerated and a tad extreme. But I'm just not hooked by the concept itself. A rich daughter upping rent so that buying property with her micro penis husband pays off later? Reality TV style?

It's just not jumping off the screen for me. I also fail to really believe the entire concept of the "curse." It feels half-thought out and poorly conceptualized. Like Safdie and Fielder had a bunch of ideas and tried to juggle them all together here. And the "commitment to the bit" is shooting it like an actual reality TV show.

I mean, props to them. It's very well made show and production value shows. But yeah, it's not enough for me to continue.

I never thought I'd say this but I think Nathan's performance is also weak. He doesn't hit certain lines the way I wish he would and even emotional beats I feel really miss the mark.

But hey, acting opposite Emma Stone is a curse to many. She really outshines everyone here.

I feel like he's doing a bit by acting in this. Like at any moment it'll cut and we'll have been watching a bit on Nathan for You. I say that because it feels like he's acting for a bit, not an actual series.

Although Safdie plays the devils advocate fairly well (I love him in Good Time, Licorice Pizza, and Are You There God, It's Me Margaret), it leaves much to be desired.

I write this review not out of spite or hate but rather so I warn others not to continue if you agree with some of the things I'm saying. Maybe you also loved The Rehearsal and Good Time and are debating to give this show a shot?

Just be warned: it may not be what you think.

Don't worry The Curse advocators, I'm not going to continue watching and give the show a low rating. I'm only eating this first episode.

Based on episode one, I know I won't like this show.

The pilot tells me that explicitly.

I'm realizing that I never found Nathan for You or The Rehearsal "cringey". That's not what I associated Nathan Fielder with. What I found funny about him and his previous projects was the audacity that he'd even do half of those things in the first place. Dumb Starbucks? A robot taking his pants off in front of children? It was all the extreme lengths he was willing to go that I found funny. And it was hilarious! The awkwardness, for me, was just a symptom of that. I never found it "cringey." The Curse is nothing but.

This is also why I think The Rehearsal worked so well. It was more a study on people, in my opinion. On life. And it delved into the more serious sides of Nathan, sort of like the finale of Nathan for You.

But this, The Curse, is trying so hard to make the viewer uncomfortable while also failing at making me care about anyone affected by these situations. I just don't care what happens to these people. As a fan of Nathan Fielder, I never found it "cringey" until this show labeled this brand of humor as such.

If Nathan for You was high school, The Rehearsal felt like college, and I guess that makes The Curse the awkward phase after graduating where you live in your mom's basement unemployed.

Didn't enjoy this at all. Good luck to those venturing beyond this episode.